1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to oil-cooked or baked potatoes such as potato chips and fried potatoes.
2. Discussion of the Background
Oil-cooked potatoes such as potato chips and fried potatoes are usually prepared by peeling raw potatoes, slicing them, washing with water, frying in oil and then seasoning with salt or the like. On the other hand, fabricated potato chips are usually prepared by adding water, if necessary, to one or more than one selected from mashed potatoes obtained by heating raw potatoes and then mashing and dehydrated potato materials such as dehydrated potato granules, dehydrated mashed potatoes and dehydrated potato flakes, kneading the mixture, forming a thin dough, cutting out using a die, frying the thus-cut pieces and seasoning with salt or the like.
Fried potatoes are prepared by cutting raw potatoes, cooking them and then seasoning them with salt or the like; or by adding water if necessary, to one more of mashed potatoes obtained by heating raw potatoes and then mashing and dehydrated potato materials such as dehydrated potato granules, dehydrated mashed potatoes and dehydrated potato flakes, kneading the mixture, forming into a desired shape by an extruder or the like, cooking and then seasoning with salt or the like.
It is known that oil-cooked potatoes absorb 30 to 50 wt. % of a frying oil or fat so that they tend to be influenced by the properties of the oil or fat employed. As an oil or fat for cooking snacks including potato chips oils or fats with a single taste such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, palm oil, coconut oil and lard, and natural oils or fats are used after fractionated or hydrogenated according to the using purpose. Oils or fats with a high unsaturation degree are accompanied with the problem that owing to poor storage stability, snacks have a rancid odor due to deterioration of the oils or fats used for them. In order to prevent deterioration of oils or fats during storage, palm oil or hydrogenated oils tend to be used conventionally. These palm oil and hydrogenated oils also involve problems such as too bland of a taste, and the latter one generate a hydrogenation odor upon heating {“Status of Oils or Fats for Snacks and Flavor Retention Techniques” Japan Food Science, April, 36-42 (1988)”}. Although potatoes are fried to rapidly reduce the water content, thereby imparting them with a light texture, potato chips having a markedly reduced water content by frying are accompanied with the problem that slight moisture absorption impairs their crispy texture and deteriorates their flavor considerably.
As a method for obtaining potato chips having a small water content, having good texture capable of keeping its favorable crispy texture after passage of time, and being free from deterioration in flavor due to a rancid odor of the oil or fat used for the proposed is a method of cooking potatoes with an oil composition containing at least 50 wt. % of a diglyceride (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-127230, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-243857). Potato chips prepared by this method however are somewhat greasy and lacking in blandness. Moreover, these potato chips tend to lack sufficient softness in taste.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide oil-cooked or baked potatoes which have a small water content; have favorable texture; have good storage stability, for example are capable of keeping a crispy texture after passage of time and are free from a deterioration in flavor due to a rancid odor of oil or fat; and are palatable and bland; and have sufficient softness in taste.